an Irish singer, popular in the late 80s - early 90s. In 1990 she had an international #1 hit (the Prince - written "Nothing Compares 2 U") and a #1 album: "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got". She has great talent, an excellent singing voice and she can play some instruments and writes most of her songs, too. She has an extreme appetite for controversy however and in the autumn of 1992 it all backfired when on TV she ripped up a photograph of the beloved Pope John Paul II and shouted "Fight the real enemy!". By doing that she pissed off an entire planet because she dissed an icon admired by not just Catholics but Christians of other denominations, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, people of other faiths and more. Even atheists respected him for his stances on social issues and human rights. She did it to promote an album and it all flew back into her face. Sinead recordings were smashed by a steamroller in New York City. She had enough notority with her shaved head which didn't dilute her pretty features one bit. The picture-tearing incident put her fame in the trash can, as she never scored a big hit again.
Today she still says and does stupid controversial things in public, but her music career ain't going nowhere.

I saw Sinead O'Connor rip up a picture of Pope John Paul II on the Letterman show late night on TV. A few people cheered. Others gasped in disbelief.